"We built it out of an old used IH cultivator that we bought for $250," says Steven Estep, Coal Hill, Ark., about the high-lift hay boom he built that'll stack big round bales up to 20 ft. high and handle other lifting chores.
The cultivator's 4 by 6-in. toolbar became the boom's main beam and it also supplied the quick-tach Cat III 3-pt. A big Triple K hydraulic cylinder provides the lift and a smaller tilt cylinder tilts the bale spear.
"One reason we built the boom was to stack bales on semi trailers. We were having trouble loading big round bales but now we can stack even the biggest bales 2-high on a trailer. We also use it to lift heavy equipment for transport," says Estep.
The boom is split about 12 ft. in from the bale spear and bends on a hinge Estep made from heavy 3/4-in. plate and a heavy bolt. All operation is from inside,the cab of the big Deere 4640 tractor. "Does the job of high-priced front-end bale handlers," says Estep.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steven Lee Estep, P.O. Box 98k, Coal Hill, Ark. 72832 (ph 501 497-1400).

Boom pole hay spear HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 10-1-11 "We built it out of an old used IH cultivator that we bought for $250," says Steven Estep, Coal Hill, Ark., about the high-lift hay boom he built that'll stack big round bales up to 20 ft. high and handle other lifting chores.
The cultivator's 4 by 6-in. toolbar became the boom's main beam and it also supplied the quick-tach Cat III 3-pt. A big Triple K hydraulic cylinder provides the lift and a smaller tilt cylinder tilts the bale spear.
"One reason we built the boom was to stack bales on semi trailers. We were having trouble loading big round bales but now we can stack even the biggest bales 2-high on a trailer. We also use it to lift heavy equipment for transport," says Estep.
The boom is split about 12 ft. in from the bale spear and bends on a hinge Estep made from heavy 3/4-in. plate and a heavy bolt. All operation is from inside,the cab of the big Deere 4640 tractor. "Does the job of high-priced front-end bale handlers," says Estep.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steven Lee Estep, P.O. Box 98k, Coal Hill, Ark. 72832 (ph 501 497-1400).

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